ABERDEEN: Pizza returns to mall

March 02, 2009|BY ELISSA DICKEY, edickey@aberdeennews.com

An Aberdeen woman has delivered pizza back to the Lakewood Mall. Or P'za, actually. The new pizza restaurant opened Friday in the mall food court. Operations Manager Shawn Wiest of Aberdeen said the name is pronounced the same as the word "pizza." The abbreviated version puts the restaurant first in the phone book, she said. Wiest said she decided to open the pizza place partly because it was needed at the mall. Thatzza Pizza closed its mall location last year. P'za is not a chain - just a little "mom and pop place," she said. Two of Wiest's daughters, Megain and Paige Wiest, work at the restaurant with her. P'za offers pizzas such as "just meat" and "just veggie." Its "banker's special" is essentially a chicken cordon blue pizza that got its name because it's the favorite of the restaurant's bank manager, Wiest said. The menu also includes salads, spaghetti and fettuccine. Wiest said most recipes come from her supplier. "But we do spice up our pizza sauce," she said. "And the salads are all mine." The restaurant offers a 10 percent discount to customers with student IDs. P'za, which follows mall hours seven days a week, can be reached at 605-225-0593.